Spaghetti, a word that evokes thoughts of delicious Italian cuisine and hearty meals, has taken on an entirely new meaning in the realm of science.



Imagine strands so impossibly thin they are 200 times slimmer than a human hair -- not destined for marinara sauce but poised to revolutionize fields as diverse as medicine and advanced materials science.



Recently, a team of scientists from University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>) has crafted the world’s thinnest strands of material, daintily dubbed "spaghetti" in an attempt to blend the familiar with the extraordinary.



Beatrice Britton, the study's lead author, carried out the work as part of her master’s degree in chemistry at UCL.



“To make spaghetti, you push a mixture of water and flour through metal holes. In our study, we did the same except we pulled our flour mixture through with an electrical charge. It’s literally spaghetti but much smaller,” explained co-author Dr. Adam Clancy from the UCL Department of Chemistry.



However, this remarkable creation isn’t for your dinner plate. Its potential lies in novel applications for wound healing, tissue <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-killifish-regeneration-may-help-us-heal-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regeneration</a>, and drug delivery, thereby setting a new benchmark in nanotechnology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-healing-power-of-spaghetti-nanopasta">Healing power of "spaghetti" nanopasta</h2>



The secret lies in its base material - starch. This <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-refined-carbs-can-make-you-less-attractive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbohydrate</a>, accumulated in abundance by green plants, provides us with fascinating prospects for creating nanofibers.



The microscopic mats of nanofibers are permeable enough to permit the passage of water and moisture, while acting as a protective barrier against harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-form-memories-and-pass-them-on-to-future-generations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria</a>. 



“Nanofibers, such as those made of starch, show potential for use in wound dressings as they are very porous,” said Professor Gareth Williams from UCL School of Pharmacy. 



“In addition, nanofibers are being explored for use as a scaffold to regrow tissue, as they mimic the extra-cellular matrix – a network of proteins and other molecules that cells build to support themselves.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-spaghetti-nanopasta">Making spaghetti nanopasta</h2>



Nanofibers made from starch offer remarkable potential for applications in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/increasing-plant-extinction-threatens-the-future-of-medicine-and-human-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">medicine</a> and industry. 



However, traditional methods for producing these materials rely on extracting and purifying starch from plant cells - a process that demands significant energy and water and raises environmental concerns.



The UCL team has devised an innovative alternative: creating nanofibers directly from starch-rich flour, a widely available and sustainable resource.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/spaghetti_worlds-thinnest_nanopasta_single-strand_credit-UCL_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/spaghetti_worlds-thinnest_nanopasta_single-strand_credit-UCL_1s.webp" alt="Each individual strand is too narrow to be clearly captured by any form of visible light camera or microscope, so the team used a scanning electron microscope, scanning the mat with a focused beam of electrons and creating an image based on the pattern of electrons that are deflected or knocked-off. Credit: Beatrice Britton / Adam Clancy" class="wp-image-1951309"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Each individual strand is too narrow to be clearly captured by any form of visible light camera or microscope, so the team used a scanning electron microscope, scanning the mat with a focused beam of electrons and creating an image based on the pattern of electrons that are deflected or knocked-off. Credit: Beatrice Britton / Adam Clancy</figcaption></figure>



Bypassing the need for intensive purification, this approach not only reduces resource consumption but also leverages a common food ingredient in an unexpected and transformative way.



This method represents a shift towards greener nanotechnology, aligning material science innovation with environmental responsibility.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-spaghetti-nanopasta">Future of spaghetti nanopasta</h2>



The researchers are optimistic about the future of these ultra-thin nanofibers, especially when they are made using starch-rich flour as a starting material.



“Starch is a promising material to use as it is abundant and renewable -- it is the second largest source of biomass on Earth, behind cellulose -- and it is biodegradable, meaning it can be broken down in the body,” said Dr. Clancy.



However, the process of creating nanofibers from flour is not without challenges. Impurities such as proteins and cellulose increase the mixture’s viscosity, making fiber formation more difficult.



The study highlights how using formic acid instead of water effectively breaks down the giant starch helices, allowing the creation of nanofibers. 



The researchers also carefully controlled the mixture’s temperature during preparation to achieve the right consistency. 



This novel approach not only simplifies the process but also opens the door to sustainable and scalable production methods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



While the team has made significant progress, much work remains to fully explore the potential of this "healing spaghetti." 



“We’ve shown that a simpler way to make nanofibers using flour is possible. The next step would be to investigate the properties of this product. We would want to know, for instance, how quickly it disintegrates, how it interacts with cells, and if you could produce it at scale,” explained Dr. Clancy.



The versatility of these nanofibers opens the door to applications beyond medicine, potentially transforming areas such as environmental engineering and biodegradable materials.



Despite the promise of starch-based nanofibers in medicine and industry, their culinary applications remain out of reach. 



“I don’t think it’s useful as pasta, sadly, as it would overcook in less than a second, before you could take it out of the pan,” Professor Williams stated humorously.



The researchers plan to continue refining the electrospinning process and exploring the properties of their nanofibers to determine their viability for practical applications. 



For now, the world's thinnest "spaghetti" stands as a remarkable example of the creativity and ingenuity of modern <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/astronauts-are-studying-materials-science-in-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">materials science</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/na/d4na00601a">Nanoscale Advances</a>.



Image Credit: Beatrice Britton / Adam Clancy



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World’s thinnest spaghetti 'nanopasta' could heal wounds and regrow tissues

Spaghetti, a word that evokes thoughts of delicious Italian cuisine and hearty meals, has taken on an entirely new meaning in the realm of science. Imagine strands so impossibly thin they are 200 times slimmer than a human hair -- not destined for marinara sauce but poised to revolutionize fields as diverse as medicine and advanced materials science. Recently, a team of scientists from University College London (UCL) has crafted the world’s thinnest strands of material, daintily dubbed "spaghetti" in an attempt to blend the familiar with...

Latin America is home to at least a third of the world's biodiversity and is more than twice as rich in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/shift-from-meat-to-plant-based-food-could-offset-years-of-emissions/">plant</a> species as tropical Africa, according to experts at the <a href="https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/">Missouri Botanical Garden</a>. 

With tropical forests being cleared at shocking rates, the researchers emphasize that areas with the greatest amount of biodiversity must be urgently identified to help inform conservation efforts while there is still time. 

It was previously known that Latin America has a greater diversity of plant species than tropical Africa, but the current study is the first to quantify the difference.

"Detailed studies over the past several decades have made it possible to compare accurately the numbers of species of indigenous vascular plants in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia, and the results are unexpected," wrote the researchers.

Study co-author Peter Raven is a renowned botanist and environmentalist, and the President Emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden. The experts compared the numbers of vascular plant species in the Afrotropical Region and Latin America using the Vascular Plants of Americas website. 

Based on the estimates, the researchers report that although Latin America is smaller in area than the Afrotropical Region, it is home to more than twice as many species of vascular plants. Furthermore, the study shows that new species are being discovered in Latin America much more rapidly and that the region is home to at least a third of the world's total biodiversity.

"The destruction of ecosystems is taking place so rapidly throughout the tropics that it will be difficult to obtain additional information bearing on the matters reviewed here," wrote the study authors. "With the global population currently 7.8 billion, projected to increase to nearly 10 billion over the next 30 years, and our current consumption of natural productivity having reached around 175% of what is available sustainably, the future for most natural ecosystems looks dim." 

"In Sub-Saharan Africa, the situation is especially dire; the 1.2 billion people there are estimated to double by mid-century and quadruple by the end of this century. Few predict that there will be many areas of tropical forest left by the end of the century. Therefore, to find answers to the obvious questions of how many species are there, how their ecosystems function, and so forth, we will need to do the best we can as soon as we can."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Latin America contains a third of the world's biodiversity

Latin America is home to at least a third of...

A new <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/22221751.2020.1817796">study</a> published by <a href="https://taylorandfrancis.com/">Taylor &amp; Francis Group</a> reports that more cats have been infected by COVID-19 than what was previously realized. The researchers discovered that many cats are fighting off the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coronavirus-may-attack-the-body-through-the-nose/">coronavirus</a> with naturally developed antibodies, but may still be at risk of re-infection.

Researchers at the Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the pandemic originated, collected blood samples and nasal swabs from 102 cats between January and March 2020.

COVID-19 antibodies were detected in 15 of the blood samples, 11 of which were neutralizing antibodies, or proteins that bind to a virus well enough to block the infection.

According to the researchers, none of the cats actually tested positive for COVID-19, displayed obvious symptoms, or died from an infection.

About half of the cats evaluated for the study were in animal shelters, 41 were in pet hospitals, and 15 cats were owned by COVID-19 patients.

The three cats with the highest levels of antibodies were all owned by individuals who had been diagnosed with COVID-19. There was also evidence that some of the cats in shelters and hospitals had been infected by other cats. 

Study lead author Meilin Jin noted that while there is currently no evidence for cat-to-human transmission, precautions should be considered.

"Although the infection in stray cats could not be fully understood, it is reasonable to speculate that these infections are probably due to the contact with SARS-CoV-2 polluted environment, or COVID-19 patients who fed the cats," said Jin.

"Therefore measures should be considered to maintain a suitable distance between COVID-19 patients and companion animals such as cats and dogs, and hygiene and quarantine measures should also be established for those high-risk animals."

Upon analyzing the antibodies present in many of the cats, the researchers found characteristics that implied the cats "remain at risk of re-infection."

The study authors explain that this is a similar transient antibody response to also be observed in humans, and that their study should be used as a "reference for the clinical treatment and prevention of COVID-19".

"We suggest that cats have a great potential as an animal model for assessing the characteristics of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in humans."

The researchers said that further research is needed to establish the route of COVID-19 from humans to cats.

"Retrospective investigation confirmed that all of antibody positive samples were taken after the outbreak, suggesting that the infection of cats could be due to the virus transmission from humans to cats," said Jin. "Certainly, it is still needed to be verified via investigating the SARS-CoV-2 infections before this outbreak in a wide range of sampling."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/22221751.2020.1817796">Emerging Microbes &amp; Infections</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Some cats have developed neutralizing COVID-19 antibodies

A new study published by Taylor &amp; Francis Group reports...

Experts have developed new <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-technology-transforms-paper-into-an-electronic-device/">technology</a> to track black rhinos in Namibia and protect the endangered animals from poachers. The interactive software uses advanced algorithms to analyze more than 100 measurements of rhino footprints.

Each footprint left behind by a rhinoceros is as distinctive as a human fingerprint. This means that the images analyzed with the Footprint Identification Technique (FIT) can be linked to specific individuals. 

The images will be digitally archived in a global database, providing conservationists with a new tool to monitor the movements of black rhinos across different protected areas. 

Study co-lead author Zoe Jewell is the co-creator of FIT and an adjunct associate professor in the Nicholas School of the Environment at <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a>.

"If you find a match, you can identify the individual animal who left the mark and, by plotting the locations of all the other places that mark has been seen, track its movements without disturbing it or coming into close enough contact with it for there to be a risk of animal-to-human viral transmissions," said Professor Jewell.

"It's a cost-effective approach that not only protects the health of the rhino and the human, but also brings a centuries-old tracking skill into the 21st Century."

About 90 percent of all remaining black rhinos live in Namibia, with an estimated population of 2,000 individuals. The rhinos are owned by the government and distributed onto private lands across the country.

In recent years, government efforts to strengthen security have significantly slowed the rate of poaching. However, between 30 and 50 black rhinos are still killed each year for their horns, which sell for more than $60,000 a kilogram on the Asian black market.

"You essentially have these animals with horns worth $100,000 or more that disappear from sight into the Namibian backcountry, making them an almost irresistible target for poachers. Authorities often don't know a rhino that's gone missing has been poached until they find its bones or carcass," said Professor Jewell.

The FIT technology can be used to monitor rhinos in three different ways. This allows scientists, managers, guides, or anti-poaching patrols to use the software to best meet their individual needs and constraints, explained Professor Jewell.

The simplest FIT method compares the heel pattern on a digital image of the footprint to images that are already archived in the database to search for a match. This approach is well-suited to situations where a random footprint is found in the wild.

The FIT software can also be used to survey all footprints throughout a protected area and take measurements from each print to estimate the number of black rhinos that are present. This information is particularly useful for calculating resource needs, such as the number of patrol vehicles, to monitor the animals effectively.

The most advanced option tracks each individual rhino by matching its unique footprint using both FIT and heel-patterns. This method creates an interactive library that anti-poaching patrols can use to search for animals at the highest risk, including those known to frequent areas under threat from poachers.

"FIT is a distillation of the traditional ecological skills of the expert trackers who I have lived and worked with in Africa for many years," said study co-author Professor Sky Alibhai. "Using FIT allows their skills to be used effectively in conservation. This can benefit whole communities."

The researchers are currently working with Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism to train land managers, local guides, and anti-poaching agents on how to use the software.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://peerj.com/">PeerJ</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New software will help protect black rhinos from poachers

Experts have developed new technology to track black rhinos in...

Scientists exploring the deepest regions of the Great Barrier Reef for the first time have discovered five new species of black <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-reproductive-secrets-of-stony-corals/">corals</a> and sponges. The team also observed an extremely rare fish that has never been documented in Australia.

The groundbreaking research was conducted by experts onboard the <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/">Schmidt Ocean Institute</a>'s research vessel Falkor. The team deployed an underwater robot to capture high-resolution video of the seafloor 1,820 meters deep.

The international collaboration involved a multidisciplinary team of scientists from Geoscience Australia, James Cook University, University of Sydney, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Queensland Museum Network, and Queensland University of Technology.

The experts addressed many questions about the geological evolution and biology of the reefs and canyons across the deep seafloor.

"This included the most comprehensive midwater robotic dive survey series to ever have been conducted in the South Pacific," said lead scientist Dr. Brendan Brooke. "Research vessel Falkor has integrated a range of technologies that have allowed us to work across the full range of ocean depths in the Coral Sea and to provide data for multiple disciplines including geology, biology, and oceanography."

The researchers obtained samples of soft and scleractinian coral, as well as the first sample of ancient bedrock from beneath the Great Barrier Reef, which is estimated to be between 40 and 50 million years old. 

Scientists spotted the extremely rare Rhinopias agroliba, a colorful ambush predator in the scorpionfish family, and conducted the most comprehensive survey of midwater jellyfish that has ever been carried out in the South Pacific.

The team also mapped the seafloor in high resolution across 38,395 square kilometers.

"These maps, samples, and images are fascinating and provide a new understanding of the geological diversity and biological wealth of a region that is already world-renowned for its natural beauty," said Dr. Jyotika Virmani, executive director of Schmidt Ocean Institute. "The data will help marine park managers to protect these ecosystems that are so vital for our global biodiversity and human health. "

The experts live streamed the underwater robotic dives and 112 hours of high definition underwater video during the month-long expedition to the Great Barrier Reef, which ended August 30, on the Schmidt Ocean Institute's YouTube channel.

"Schmidt Ocean Institute and the technology that it has brought to Australia is a huge enabler in better understanding our marine resources from a lens of diverse disciplines," said Dr. Scott Nichol. "This work brings new understanding and will keep the scientists busy for years."

The research was funded by the Schmidt Ocean Institute, Geoscience Australia, James Cook University, the University of Sydney, JAMSTEC, and Queensland Museum.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New corals found deep in the Great Barrier Reef

Scientists exploring the deepest regions of the Great Barrier Reef...

People who are good at learning implicitly, or without conscious effort, are more likely to believe in God and a higher order, according to neuroscientists at <a href="https://www.georgetown.edu/">Georgetown University</a>. The experts report that individuals who can unconsciously grasp complex patterns, which is known as implicit pattern learning, are likely to hold stronger beliefs that there is a god who is in charge of events that take place in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/starlight-universe-produced/">universe</a>.

The study is the first of its kind to investigate religious beliefs based on implicit pattern learning. The research was focused on two very different cultural and religious groups in the United States and Afghanistan.

The experts set out to examine whether implicit pattern learning could form the basis of religious belief. They also wanted to explore the potential for this link to exist across different faiths and cultures. 

Study senior investigator Adam Green is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology and Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience at Georgetown and the director of the Georgetown Laboratory for Relational Cognition.

"Belief in a god or gods who intervene in the world to create order is a core element of global religions," said Professor Green. "This is not a study about whether God exists, this is a study about why and how brains come to believe in gods. Our hypothesis is that people whose brains are good at subconsciously discerning patterns in their environment may ascribe those patterns to the hand of a higher power."

The study did, in fact, reveal that implicit pattern learning offers new insight into religion. Professor Green said that a really interesting observation is what happens between childhood and adulthood. 

The findings indicate that if children unconsciously pick up on complex patterns in their environment, they will develop faith in a god that is more likely to increase as they get older, even when they are raised in a nonreligious household. Meanwhile, children who do not become implicitly aware of patterns around them will have beliefs that fade as they grow up, even in a religious household.

The portion of the study that was conducted in the United States involved a predominantly Christian group of 199 participants from Washington, D.C. In Afghanistan, the research was focused on a group of 149 Muslim participants in Kabul. 

"The most interesting aspect of this study, for me, and also for the Afghan research team, was seeing patterns in cognitive processes and beliefs replicated across these two cultures," said study co-author Zachery Warren. 

"Afghans and Americans may be more alike than different, at least in certain cognitive processes involved in religious belief and making meaning of the world around us. Irrespective of one's faith, the findings suggest exciting insights into the nature of belief."

Professor Green theorizes that a brain which is more predisposed to implicit pattern learning may be more inclined to believe in a god no matter where in the world that brain happens to find itself, or in which religious context. 

"Optimistically, this evidence might provide some neuro-cognitive common ground at a basic human level between believers of disparate faiths."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

People with brains that learn implicitly have stronger religious beliefs

People who are good at learning implicitly, or without conscious...

Children and infants process <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-language-pathway-appeared-in-the-brain-25-million-years-ago/">language</a> in both the left and right brain hemispheres, while adults rely on only one side of the brain, according to a study from <a href="https://gumc.georgetown.edu/">Georgetown University Medical Center</a>. The findings may explain why children tend to recover more easily from neural injuries than adults.

"This is very good news for young children who experience a neural injury," said study lead author Dr. Elissa Newport. "Use of both hemispheres provides a mechanism to compensate after a neural injury." 

"For example, if the left hemisphere is damaged from a perinatal stroke - one that occurs right after birth - a child will learn language using the right hemisphere. A child born with cerebral palsy that damages only one hemisphere can develop needed cognitive abilities in the other hemisphere. Our study demonstrates how that is possible."

Dr. Newport said the study solves a mystery that has puzzled clinicians and neuroscientists for a long time. Studies on language loss in adults who suffered a left hemisphere stroke have shown that sentence processing is only possible in this particular region. On the other hand, among young children, damage to either hemisphere is unlikely to result in language deficits.

Even when the left brain hemisphere is severely damaged in children, language can usually be recovered, which indicates that language is distributed to both hemispheres early in life, explained Dr. Newport. Until now, brain scans have not revealed the details of this phenomenon. 

"It was unclear whether strong left dominance for language is present at birth or appears gradually during development. We now have a better platform upon which to understand brain injury and recovery."

Using a more complex method of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers found that both hemispheres participate in language during early development.

According to Dr. Newport, brain networks that localize specific tasks to one or the other hemisphere start during childhood but are not complete until a child is about 10 or 11 years old. She noted that the right hemisphere is likely even more functionally involved in language processing during the earliest years of life.

"Our findings suggest that the normal involvement of the right hemisphere in language processing during very early childhood may permit the maintenance and enhancement of right hemisphere development if the left hemisphere is injured."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Young children use both brain hemispheres for language processing

Children and infants process language in both the left and...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> has demonstrated that two food additives can eliminate foodborne pathogens from tomatoes before they are even harvested. The nonchlorine-based sanitizer, which contains levulinic acid and sodium dodecyl, can be used by vegetable <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/snowmelt-changes-may-greatly-affect-farmers-in-western-u-s/">farmers</a> as a preharvest spray to control diseases such as Salmonella and E. coli.

While most farmers rely on postharvest washing to reduce the risk of foodborne pathogens, the new study suggests that applying sanitizers to produce while it is still in the field is an effective solution that can also lower labor costs.

"Tomatoes are grown in environments in which Salmonella may reside as a result of fecal contamination from animals, such as livestock, wildlife and reptiles," explained the study authors. "For improvement of soil fertility and quality the application of manure and compost is common on organic farms, however; some improperly treated manure or compost can also add a potential microbial risk factor for fresh produce."

Each year, about five billion pounds of fresh market tomatoes are consumed in the United States, which means that disease outbreaks have the potential to be large and far-reaching.

Study lead author Tong Zhao is an associate research scientist with the Center for Food Safety on the UGA Griffin campus. 

Initially, Zhao's team was going to investigate the use of a postharvest wash solution made of two food additives approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, Bill Brim of Lewis Taylor Farms suggested that the study should be designed using the solution in a preharvest spray.

While producers commonly use chlorine-based disinfectants to treat produce postharvest, the preharvest application of bactericides is not a common practice, said Zhao.

Previous studies showed that the combination of levulinic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate substantially reduced both Salmonella and E. coli on romaine lettuce without adversely affecting lettuce quality. Zhao wanted to test the solution's effectiveness on contaminated tomato plants.

In both lab and field tests, tomato plants were sprayed with a solution containing five strains of E. coli, five strains of Salmonella, and five strains of Listeria. The tomato plants were then separated into three groups and were treated in the following ways: with a test solution levulinic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate, with acidified chlorine as a control, or with only tap water.

The studies showed that the test solution significantly reduced the populations of inoculated Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella, and L. monocytogenes on tomato plants.

"I have to express appreciation to the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Association for funding this and other research that is of benefit to agricultural producers in the state," said Zhao.

"This method can easily be adopted using equipment that most farms are already using. Preharvest treatment is very effective, efficient and easy considering the amount of labor needed for postharvest washing."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/food-control">Food Control</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

New treatment protects tomatoes from Salmonella and E coli

A new study from the University of Georgia has demonstrated...

Scientists have used a new environmental DNA testing technique in Brazil to find evidence of a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/invasive-tree-frogs-in-australia-have-a-dangerously-big-appetite/">frog</a> that was believed to have gone extinct more than 50 years ago. The frog, Megaelosia bocainensis, has not been spotted since 1968. 

The study was designed to locate declining and missing species in two biodiversity hotspots in Brazil: the Atlantic Coastal Forest and the Cerrado grasslands.

To investigate whether certain species may be present in areas they once inhabited, the experts used an advanced technique that involves collecting and screening environmental DNA (eDNA). This method picks up on the traces of DNA that are left behind by living organisms in the soil, water,  and the air.

Since Megaelosia bocainensis vanished from Parque Nacional da Serra da Bocaina, Brazil, it has been known only from a museum specimen collected in 1968. The eDNA technique can confirm the presence of species that go undetected using traditional methods, providing a valuable tool for conservation scientists to evaluate threatened species.

The analysis detected signs of Megaelosia bocainensis, as well as two frogs that were presumed to be locally extinct and four species that are in a state of decline.

"Little bits of DNA in the environment don't tell us about how many individuals there are or whether those individuals are healthy, but it does tell us that the species is still present," said study senior author Professor Kelly Zamudio of Cornell University.

"This is one more kind of survey data, and for species that are declining or locally disappeared, it not only means they are there, but there's now the potential to study them in more detail," she said, noting that for many species, very little is known.

The investigation targeted 13 frog species that have totally disappeared, 12 species that have disappeared locally, and five species that have become hard to find. 

The researchers hiked into the sampling sites and collected stream or pond water, using a special filter to capture and preserve DNA. In the lab, the DNA was extracted and genetically sequenced. They eliminated genetic material from humans, pigs, and other organisms until they had isolated all the frog DNA.

"Now you've got a subset of genetic sequences that we know only belong to frogs, and then it's step by step, going finer and finer, until you get to the genus and species you are looking for," said Professor Zamudio.

Even though the scientists did not have any tissue from M. bocainensis for a DNA comparison, they had tissues from related sister species. 

"We know there's a Megaelosia there, we just don't know which one it is, but the only one that has ever been reported there historically is the one that went missing," said Professor Zamudio. "Do we believe it? That's how far the analysis can take us."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1365294x">Molecular Ecology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Frogs thought to be extinct have been detected using environmental DNA

Scientists have used a new environmental DNA testing technique in...

How do our memories remain so clear and distinct from each other? The process that makes this possible has been a mystery, but a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> has now discovered a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-stress-can-be-reduced-by-learning-the-facts/">learning</a> mechanism that stabilizes memories and reduces interference between them. 

The breakthrough study will also provide new insight into how humans form expectations and make accurate predictions about what could happen in future.

Memories are created as the connections between neurons are strengthened. These changes excite neighboring nerve cells in the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is critical for memory formation. However, this stimulation must be countered by inhibitory connections that dampen nerve cell activity in order to maintain healthy brain function. 

The inhibitory connections between nerve cells had not been previously investigated for their potential role in memory formation. For the very first time, the researchers demonstrated that these connections can also be strengthened. 

In collaboration with computational neuroscientists at Imperial College London, the experts found that inhibitory connections between nerve cells play an important role in stabilizing memories.

Based on computational modeling, the team also demonstrated that inhibitory learning enables the hippocampus to prevent information from interfering with and disrupting memories.

"We were all really excited when we discovered these two types of inhibitory neurons could alter their connections and partake in learning," said study first author Dr. Matt Udakis. "It provides an explanation for what we all know to be true; that memories do not disappear as soon as we encounter a new experience. These new findings will help us understand why that is."

"The computer modeling gave us important new insight into how inhibitory learning enables memories to be stable over time and not be susceptible to interference. That's really important as it has previously been unclear how separate memories can remain precise and robust."

The research was funded by the UKRI's Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, which has awarded the teams additional funding to develop this research and test their predictions.

"Memories form the basis of our expectations about future events and enable us to make more accurate predictions. What the brain is constantly doing is matching our expectations to reality, finding out where mismatches occur, and using this information to determine what we need to learn," said study senior author Professor Jack Mellor.

"We believe what we have discovered plays a crucial role in assessing how accurate our predictions are and therefore what is important new information. In the current climate, our ability to manage our expectations and make accurate predictions has never been more important."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

How memories remain stable without interference

How do our memories remain so clear and distinct from...

Targeting certain aspects of the gut microbiome may protect astronauts against the negative effects of traveling to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/short-walks-in-blue-spaces-improve-mood-and-well-being/">space</a>, according to a new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>.

Long journeys to outer space can be very hard on the human body, impacting metabolism, immunity, and mental health. These issues must be considered before we can send humans back to the Moon or to Mars.

In the new paper, the experts report that promoting a healthy gut microbiome could prevent the harmful side effects of space travel. They will now attempt to identify the specific microbes that can provide the most benefit.

The microgravity environment can result in muscle breakdown, reduced bone mass, nausea, and can disrupt the gut microbiome, explained the researchers. These factors contribute to even bigger problems like malnourishment, gastrointestinal infection, and inflammation. Astronauts may also experience metabolic disturbances, such as decreased sensitivity to insulin and cognitive decline.

Professor Silvia Turroni of the University of Bologna and Professor Martina Heer of the University of Bonn reviewed a collection of studies that focus on gut microbes and space-related health. Many of these studies suggest that disruptions in the gut microbiome occur during space travel. 

In particular, one study found that the microbiomes of astronauts became more similar to each other while they were on the same space mission. There was also an increase in bacteria associated with intestinal inflammation and a decrease in those with anti-inflammatory properties.

"Changes in the microbiome are likely to lead to the breakdown of the balanced and complex relationship between microbes and their human host, with potentially severe repercussions on the functionality of body systems," said Professor Turroni.

However, the researchers found evidence that manipulating the gut microbiome may be an effective strategy to maintain good health on a long journey into space. 

"The literature suggests that nutritional countermeasures based on prebiotics and probiotics hold great promise to protect space travelers," said Professor Turroni.

Microbial treatments may be as simple as nutritionally balanced meals with lots of fiber to kickstart metabolism. They could also be more targeted, such as probiotics or other microbial supplements to boost immunity. 

"The well-being of the gut microbiome of space travelers should be among the primary goals of long-duration exploratory missions," said Professor Heer. "To ensure the success of the mission, we must not overlook the myriad of microorganisms that reside in our gastrointestinal tract and make sure they are in balance."

While missions to Mars will look for evidence of microbial life on the red planet, the researchers believe that it will be microbes here on Earth that make it possible for us to get there in the first place.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://reports.frontiersin.org/reports/frontiers-in-physiology-report.html">Frontiers in Physiology</a>

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Gut microbes could protect astronauts during space travel

Targeting certain aspects of the gut microbiome may protect astronauts...

Marine snails have a swimming style that corresponds with their shell. The behavior of marine snails has largely remained a mystery, especially in the tropical regions where their diversity is greatest. In a new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>, scientists have discovered that each species of marine snails has its own distinct style of swimming that depends on the shape of their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/shellfish-are-moving-away-from-safety-as-the-ocean-warms/">shell</a>.

Throughout the ocean, billions of tiny marine snails make a daily commute from the surface waters where they feed to several hundred meters below where they can rest while avoiding predators. 

A team of experts specializing in research at the intersection of fluid physics and biology recorded the movements of tropical marine snails and analyzed them from both perspectives. 

Study co-author Dr. David Murphy is an assistant professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of South Florida.

"We wanted to answer how the swimming behavior of these beautiful animals is affected by their different shell shapes and sizes. We found that species with a shell shaped like an airplane wing swims faster and is more maneuverable than those with 'snail-like' coiled shells," said Dr. Murphy.

"Understanding the swimming ability of these animals is helping us better understand their ecological importance and distribution in the ocean. Further, as engineers, we hope to learn from the swimming style of these organisms to design a new generation of bio-inspired underwater vehicles."

Each species examined for the study was found to have a distinct swimming pattern, generally ascending in a saw-toothed spiral at one to 24 body lengths per second, which is the equivalent of the average-sized human male swimming at up to 40 meters per second. 

"We conclude that the swimming and sinking behavior of these pelagic snails corresponds strongly with shell shape and size. Tiny snails with coiled shells swim more slowly whereas larger snails with bottle-shaped or wing-shaped shells swim faster because their larger sizes allow them to overcome the effects of water viscosity," said Dr. Murphy.

"However, swimming speed does not correlate with how far these animals migrate each day, which suggests that light and temperature levels and the presence of predators and prey also play a role. We also found that the sea butterfly with the wing-shaped shell uses its shell to 'hang-glide' downwards in order to slow its sinking."

"It's absolutely mesmerizing to watch these tiny, delicate animals flap their wings in really complex motions in order to essentially fly through the water. We're lucky to have high speed cameras that can slow down this motion enough for us to see it. And it's stunning to think that these sea butterflies are using the same fluid dynamics principles to fly through water that insects use to fly through air."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Marine snails have a swimming style that corresponds with their shell

Marine snails have a swimming style that corresponds with their...

Probiotics could be part of the solution to childhood obesity. New research from the <a href="https://www.ese-hormones.org/">European Society of Endocrinology</a> has revealed that prebiotics can help obese children lose weight. For the study, children and adolescents taking two types of probiotics with a calorie-controlled <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/urine-test-will-help-identify-the-best-diet-for-each-individual/">diet</a> lost more weight and had improved insulin sensitivity compared with children who simply dieted.

The findings suggest that probiotic supplements accompanied by a calorie-controlled diet may help manage obesity among young people and reduce future health risks, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Bifidobacteria are a group of probiotic bacteria that naturally occur in the gut microbiome and help with preventing infection from other bacteria, such as E.coli. These beneficial bacteria also help with the digestion of carbohydrates and dietary fiber by releasing chemicals called short-chain fatty acids, which play an important role in gut health and controlling hunger.

When individuals have low numbers of Bifidobacteria, this may impair digestion and affect food intake, causing weight gain. On the other hand, previous studies indicated that probiotic supplementation with Bifidobacteria could help restore the composition of the gut microbiome, promoting weight loss.

Dr. Flavia Prodam and her team set out to investigate weight loss and gut microbiota composition among obese children who were treated with Bifidobacteria while on a controlled diet. 

The study was focused on 100 young people between the ages of 6 and 18 who were randomly given either a placebo or probiotics Bifidobacterium breve BR03 and Bifidobacterium breve B632 for 8 weeks. 

The results of clinical, biochemical, and stool sample analyses revealed that children who had taken probiotics had a reduction in waist circumference, BMI, insulin resistance, and E.coli in their gut. "Probiotic supplements are frequently given to people without proper evidence data. These findings start to give evidence of the efficacy and safety of two probiotic strains in treating obesity in a younger population," said Dr. Prodam.

"The next step for our research is to identify patients that could benefit from this probiotic treatment, with a view to creating a more personalised weight-loss strategy. We also want to decipher more clearly the role of diet and probiotics on microbiome composition. This could help us to understand how the microbiota is different in young people with obesity."

The research was presented at the virtual meeting <a href="https://www.ese-hormones.org/events-deadlines/european-congress-of-endocrinology/e-ece-2020/">ECE 2020</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Probiotics could be part of the solution to childhood obesity

Probiotics could be part of the solution to childhood obesity....

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...